e-SAF producer builds Icelandic demo plant ahead-of-schedule

Canada’s Syntholene has completed the construction of its geothermal-powered synthetic aviation fuel (e-SAF) demonstration plant in Húsavík, Iceland, six months ahead of schedule.

Following the of a 250kW solid oxide electrolyser (SOEC) from Denmark’s Dynelectro, Syntholene confirmed it will publish data on its green hydrogen-based e-SAF production pathway by Q4 this year.

Constructed under budget and in just 69 days, the facility aims to validate the e-fuel approach and integration between geothermal heat infrastructure, SOECs, and balance of plant systems.

It will represent the first deployment of the firm’s thermal coupling heat exchanger, which will recover heat from a 20km insulated geothermal pipeline, to reduce electrical inputs for the SOEC.

The facility aims to support e-fuel mandates such as the EU’s RefuelEU Aviation plan, and could supply up to 20,000 tonnes of e-SAF per year to Icelandair under a non-binding offtake agreement signed in January.

Dan Sutton, CEO of Syntholene, said, “If successful, we believe [validation] could represent a meaningful advancement toward cost-competitive synthetic aviation fuel,” he added.

SOECs are positioned as a highly-efficient electrolyser technology due to their potential to use heat sources to reduce electrical inputs. Dynelectro has stated its 250kW unit can produce 27kg of hydrogen per MWh of electricity used.

However, they remain nascent, with no large-scale systems operating globally.